Lower App Store Fees in China
As of March 15, 2026, changes will be made to the commission rates that apply to the China mainland storefront of the App Store on iOS and iPadOS.
The commission rate for standard Apple In-App Purchase and paid app transactions will be 25%. Currently, the rate is 30%. The commission rate for qualifying Apple In-App Purchase transactions under the App Store Small Business Program and Mini Apps Partner Program, and for auto-renewals of Apple In-App Purchase subscriptions after the first year, will be 12%. Currently, the rate is 15%.
Apple said the changes came “following discussions with the Chinese regulator.”
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In February, the company surely perceived its Chinese business was at risk when reports suggested Chinese regulators were considering a probe into its app store commissions. Those reports saw Apple’s share price slump by around five percent.
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China is a Google-free zone, so app stores operated by manufacturers of Android handsets are numerous and well-used. Apple therefore faces more competition in China than elsewhere.
The other major difference in China is the popularity of an app store run by web giant Tencent, which offers both conventional smartphone apps and “mini programs” – apps that run within the WeChat messaging application it operates.
The crazy thing about the App Store cut in China is how it arrived so quietly in comparison with years of court battles in the US and legislation in the EU.
Previously:
- Lower Google Play Store Fees and Registered App Stores
- “Reasonably Necessary” External Purchase Fee
- Brazil: App Marketplaces and External Payments
- Japan: App Marketplaces, External Payments, New Fee Structure
- Dutch Antitrust Lawsuit Over App Store Fees
- Regulatory Complaint About App Store in China
- EU App Store Tiers and Core Technology Commission
- StoreKit External Purchase Entitlement for South Korea
- App Store External Purchase Fee: 27%
Update (2026-03-17): Adam Engst:
The announcement doesn’t say anything about developers being allowed to sell apps outside the App Store or direct users to pay via an independent payment process or external website.
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This bloodless announcement stands in stark contrast to Apple’s petulant responses to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, where it is complying, but in the most grudging, defensive way it can get away with. As far as I can tell, Apple’s Alternative EU Terms are so byzantine—and not necessarily better for developers—that most appear to be staying on the standard 30% or 15% terms.
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Apple isn’t just protecting sales of Apple devices in China; it’s protecting its manufacturing relationships with Chinese suppliers.
